Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic A Box of Swiss Chocolates, Part 14

Hello everyone. Thanks to those who gave me feedback. And thanks to rkn for betaing again.

Here's part 14.

A Box of Swiss Chocolates

Kiley was almost finished with Larry’s abstract portrait. She had added more kindness and understanding to his face since their last conversation. She smiled at the painting. She loved being able to see him everyday, even when she wasn’t in Switzerland. The abstract painting also allowed her to see the “real” Larry, not just what he looked like. When she was finished with this one, maybe she’d hang it up in her room. That way, Larry’s picture would be the first thing she saw when she woke up. She liked that idea.

Picking up her paintbrush, she placed it in the brown paint. She sighed. There really wasn’t much left on the tray. For a minute, she searched for the bottle, before remembering that was the last of her brown paint. It looked like she was done painting for the day. After all, while she didn’t have to get ready for her date with Larry right away, she didn’t have enough time to buy anymore paint. So Kiley began cleaning up her studio for the day.

When that was finished, she went upstairs to change. What did she want to wear tonight? Or this afternoon, depending on which way you look at it, she thought to her self with a chuckle, as she looked at the clock. It was only 11:00AM here. But since it would be 6:00PM in Switzerland when she met Larry…

Whatever. Anyway, what was she going to wear? She and Larry were having dinner again at his house. Nothing fancy, of course, but she should look nice enough. She remembered her “t-shirt and jeans” attire from the other day. Larry hadn’t seemed to mind that she wasn’t dressed up, but still…She picked out a pair of black pants and a deep blue shirt. There. Now she was all set.

What was she going to do for the next forty-five minutes, though? It was too early to fly to Larry’s but there wasn’t enough time to start another project. She could fly around and see if she could find anyone who needed Superwoman’s assistance, but that probably wasn’t a very good idea, especially after the lecture her parents had given her about being careful. She didn’t want to do anything that was abnormal for Superwoman. She had enough reporters in Europe wondering about her already.

Maybe she should just read for awhile, she finally decided. She picked up a copy of Great Expectations and settled in. Within minutes, she was lost in the world of Pip and Estella.

Half an hour later, Kiley got up. She should fly to Larry’s soon, especially since she didn’t want to hurt him by being late. Hopefully, she wouldn’t run into any trouble on the way. Although he was certainly more accepting of Superwoman than he used to be, which made her feel better about being Superwoman around him, he wouldn’t accept her being late without giving him a reason again! Maybe she should sit down and think of some good excuses soon. But right now she needed to go.

So Kiley spun into her Superwoman costume and took off. After arriving in an area near his house where she could change, she quickly spun into her regular clothes. Then she strolled happily over to Larry’s home. She smiled. She really was looking forward to seeing him. And kissing him, she added to herself with a grin. She wondered what he would cook for them tonight. She knocked on the door, waiting in anticipation for Larry to answer.

Within a few minutes Larry opened the door. “Hi Kiley! Come on in.” Kiley walked inside and gave him a kiss. Larry grinned at her and kissed her back.

Then they walked into his kitchen. “So listen…um…ah, I’ve got something to ask you,” Larry began. It was obvious he was nervous about whatever it was. “My mother was talking to me earlier, and I happened to mention that you were coming over for dinner tonight. So…ah…she wanted to know if she could come over and meet you. She said she was really interested in this young lady that I’ve been spending so much time with. So…um, I know we had planned on just the two of us for dinner tonight, but… would you mind if she ate with us?”

Kiley paused and thought for a few minutes. She really would like to meet Larry’s mother. Was she the reason he hadn’t turned out to be a junior Lex Luthor? But on the other hand, were they ready for that? Even though they had gotten a lot closer in the last couple of weeks, especially since he was willing to look at the superheroes as more than “egotistical”, she wasn’t sure. Meeting parents was usually a sign of a serious relationship. Was their’s that serious? Besides, after she met his mother, it would be expected for her to arrange for him to meet HER parents. And that was something she definitely wasn’t ready for.

“I’m sorry if you weren’t ready for that,” Larry said quickly, noticing her hesitation. “I didn’t mean to put pressure on you. But my mother is really pleased that I met you, that’s all. Maybe I should tell her to come next week?” Larry pleaded, obviously trying to fix what he believed to be a mistake.

“No Larry, I’d love to meet her tonight,” Kiley replied deciding she should just go with this. She DID want to meet his mother; maybe she should just leave it at that. And she didn’t want Larry to think she was upset by his offer to meet his mother, even with such short notice.

“Really?” asked Larry, sounding excited and nervous at the same time.

“Really,” she answered, smiling as Larry’s face lit up with relief. He looked so cute. And she loved the fact that she was the reason why his face lit up like that.

So Larry went over to his phone in the living room and dialed a number. “Hi Mom, it’s me. She says you’re welcome to come tonight. Yes, I mean it, she’s okay with it. You’ll be fine, Mom.” Then he hung up the phone and wandered back into the kitchen. “She’ll be here in about twenty minutes. In the meantime, I’ll get started on dinner. I’m making Greek salad grilled chicken tonight,” he commented as he got out the ingredients.

“Sounds great,” Kiley replied cheerfully, trying not to sound nervous. She was looking forward to meeting Larry’s mother. After all, she could tell her more about Larry. But she was still a little anxious as well. Would Larry’s mother like her? Was this a sign of how fast their relationship was moving? Still, she really should calm down, she thought to herself, remembering Larry’s reaction when he thought she didn’t want to meet his mother.

Absentmindedly, she picked up a nearby dish towel and began wiping the counter. Cleaning always helped calm her down.

About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. This was it.

Larry put down his spatula to answer the door. Kiley to a deep breath and followed him, resisting the urge to run her fingers through her hair. “Hi, Mom,” Larry greeted a tall blond-haired woman with an uncertain smile on her face.

“Hello, Larry,” the woman replied carefully. Then she turned to face Kiley, looking more uncertain. “Hello, you must be Kiley. I’m Lacey.” Lacey took a deep breath and held out her hand to Kiley.

Kiley smiled at her and shook it. “Yes,” she replied nervously. “Actually, my name is Kiley KENT. Maybe you’ve heard of the name?” Maybe Lacey wouldn’t accept her once she knew that. It was best to know right away.

“Yes, I think I’ve heard of the name,” Lacey replied causally.

Kiley blinked a few times. It didn’t bother her at all?

“So, dinner will be ready in about twenty-five minutes,” Larry told them.

“Sounds great, Larry,” Lacey replied. She turned back to Kiley. “Larry tells me you’re an artist. You’re here to paint some of our scenery?”

Kiley paused for a second. That was the reason that she had given to Larry for being in Switzerland. And at the time, it had been the truth to a certain extent. But that was no longer the case. Unless you counted Larry as scenery, she added to herself with a grin. But he was a lot more than that. So how was she going to answer that question?

As Kiley was still deciding how to answer, Larry replied, “She’s great Mom! She painted that!” He pointed to her “Swiss Alps Mystic,” which proudly hung right in the middle of Larry’s living room.

Lacey turned around to look at the painting and gasped. “That’s amazing, Kiley! No wonder you’re an artist. See this corner over here?” She pointed to an area which showed the Alps as the morphed into a part of the sky, the sun catching part of the mountain, while leaving the other shadowed. “That reminds me of some of Rembrant’s work. And the way the colors come together like that! It reminds me of Da Vinci! But you still made the piece your own. I love it!”

Kiley was surprised at this, too say the least. It wasn’t often that people outside of art school would be able notice things like that. And the fact that her artwork was being compared to Rembrant and Da Vinci was very flattering, although she thought Larry’s mother was exaggerating just to be nice to Larry’s girlfriend. She shrugged. “Thanks, I loved painting it.”

Lacey smiled back at her, and they all went into the kitchen. Larry went back to cooking. Meanwhile, Kiley picked up the broom and began sweeping. She really needed to calm down. Larry’s mother seemed nice, and she really appreciated her comments on her art, but Lacey was still making her very edgy. Lacey, on the other hand, began setting the table.

Larry turned around for a second and looked at both of them, dumbfounded. “I’ve got everything all, set you guys. You’re guests. Have a seat,” he replied firmly.

Kiley stopped in mid-sweep, embarrassed. “Sorry. Cleaning is something I do to calm myself down.”

Lacey looked confused. “But this is my job! I’m a waitress!”

Larry looked from one woman to the other, seeming more dumbfounded, not to mention confused, than ever. “Kiley, if it makes you feel better to sweep my floor, you’re welcome to it. But don’t think you have to.” Then he sighed deeply. “Mom, you may work as a waitress, but you’re not working right now. I’m not paying you to be here. I thought we’ve been over this before.”

Lacey looked from Kiley to Larry, still looking confused. “But you have company tonight!”

“Yes, Mom. And you’re part of that company,” Larry replied firmly.

“Okay,” Lacey finally replied.

Kiley shrugged and continued to sweep the floor to calm down, although she was blown away by that conversation. Larry’s mother actually thought she had to continue waitressing outside the restaurant she worked at?! And it apparently was something she and Larry had discussed before. And yet, by her comments about Rembrandt and Da Vinci, she knew this woman was smart. Kiley remembered Larry telling her that her mother had become dependent on her brother, but she hadn’t really thought about the implications. She wondered if Lex Luthor really had destroyed this woman’s self esteem so much that she thought she was supposed to be a waitress at all times. How had this woman done so well raising Larry in those circumstances?

About fifteen minutes later, they all sat down to eat. Larry filled all their cups with milk causing Kiley to share a special smile with him. He was so sweet to remember that, especially with his mother here with them.

“This is really good, Larry. You’re a wonderful chef,” Lacey commented brightly.

Kiley dug in and agreed. “I love your meals, Larry.”

Larry smiled happily between the two women at his table. “I’m glad you’re both enjoying it.”

“So Larry, have you shown this young lady how you make your chocolates yet? I’m sure she’d love to find out.”

Larry grinned back at his mother. “Yeah, I did that the other day. I even let her make her own chocolate mint candies.”

Kiley’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love those chocolates! They’re the best, especially because they’re from Larry.” She looked down at her plate for a second. Had she said too much in front of Larry’s mother?

But Lacey smiled warmly at her in return. “I’m glad he’s treating you right. I want my son to treat his girlfriend special.”

Kiley smiled back at her. She seemed to be a very nice lady who loved her son and was eager to get to know his son’s girlfriend. Kiley wished she knew her well enough to understand her apparent lack of self-confidence, though.

“I was reading Hamlet yesterday,” Lacey said causally a few minutes later. “And I was thinking about how that story was an excellent portrayal of a young man’s love for his father on so many levels. I mean, on one hand, Hamlet is deeply grieving for his father’s death, but on the other hand, he wants justice for his father. Do you know what I mean?”

Kiley and Larry nodded. Larry replied, “I remember reading that in my studies. And there’s Polaris and Laertes, too. Which is kind of similar to Hamlet and his father, but different, too.”

Kiley paused for a second. This was an unusual conversation between a mother and son. Literature? Then she shrugged and decided to join in. “Yes, I remember reading that in school. What I think is interesting is to try to figure out how much Hamlet is play-acting and how much are his real feelings. You know, because he decides he’s going to pretend to be crazy so people won’t care what they say in front of him. But how much of that is actually real? And who does he tell his plans to?”

Larry and Lacey both nodded. Everyone was just finishing up dinner. Lacey got up and took everyone’s plates.

Larry sighed. “Mom, didn’t we have this conversation a half an hour ago? Your not waitressing in my house! You’re my guest, just like Kiley is. And I know I grew up with servants, but I don’t consider it beneath me to take care of my dishes!” He hugged his mother and she hugged him back.

“Yes, I know. I guess it’s just hard to remember,” Lacey replied.

Kiley sighed inwardly. Larry was right when he told her that his mother was smart. But she really only saw herself as a waitress. And as Larry’s mother, she supposed. It was so sad. She was obviously a wonderful mother. But as woman in her own right…?

Later on that night, Lacey brought up another interesting topic. “I hear Superwoman’s been spending some time in Europe,” she commented.

Kiley’s ears went on end. That again. Her superhero persona seemed to be chasing her where ever she went these days. What was Lacey going to say about it?

“I think she’s doing a lot of good,” Lacey continued. “I don’t care why she’s here, I’m just glad she is.”

Kiley smiled but raised her eyebrows at Larry. Apparently she wasn’t bothered by “those egotistical superheroes.”

Larry took a deep breath, “I guess maybe you’re right, Mom.”

Kiley grinned from ear to ear. “I’m glad to hear that.”

An hour later, Lacey decided she should go home. After all, she had to work the early morning shift at the restaurant. She didn’t look too thrilled about that, either. In fact, she looked like she was dreading it. Kiley had to wonder if she even liked waitressing. That poor woman.

Larry and Kiley stood alone in his living room after Lacey left. “So, what do you think of my Mom,” Larry asked her.

Kiley took a deep breath and replied carefully, “I thought she was really nice, and I enjoyed her company. But…does she really think she has to waitress all the time?”

Larry sighed and replied, “It’s like how she defines herself. Lacey Luthor, waitress. ‘That’s all I’m ever going to be,’ she tells me.”

“But doesn’t she consider being your mother important as well” Kiley asked, confused.

“Of course, you saw how she wanted to make sure I was treating you properly.” Larry grinned at her and brushed her cheek with his hand. “And when I was growing up, being my mother was how she defined herself. Today, she still keeps pretty close tabs on me. But since I’ve grown up, I guess she feels she can’t define herself that way anymore.”

Larry shook his head sadly and sat down on his couch. “It wouldn’t be so bad if being a waitress was just a job for her. But it isn’t. I mean, she really thinks she needs to waitress in my house! And she does that when she goes to dinner at other people’s homes, too. Besides, she’s really smart. I’d like to see her get a teaching degree or something. I’d help her pay for it if she’d let me. But she always tells me ‘waitressing is what I do. I can’t do anything else.’ Uncle Lex, for you. He’s the one who convinced her she’d never be able to do anything in her life.”

Kiley looked at Larry sadly. “I’m sorry about your Mom, and I wish there was something I could do for her. But I’m glad she’s was still a good mother for you. And listen, I know this is a touchy subject, but what do you think about what she had to say about Superwoman?” She ran her fingers through her hair.

Larry grinned at her. “I’ve been thinking about that since we last talked, and then I listened to what my mother said, and I realized that she’s right. Superwoman, and probably all the superheroes, are all right. Actually, they’re great.”

Kiley looked at Larry for a few minutes. In that instance, she knew she loved him. Then she jumped on top of him and kissed him with all the enthusiasm she ever had in her life.